Sophie Hutton on Identifying and Assessing Autism

Sophie Hutton is an award-winning specialist speech and language therapist. She is the owner of The Nest Therapy Ltd – an Ofsted Outstanding specialist nursery provision for early years children with SEND, which provides independent assessment and interventions for children with a range of speech, language and communication needs to individual families, nurseries, and schools.

In this session, Sophie Hutton discusses autism and its symptoms, as well as the importance of identifying and assessing autism in children. She covers topics such as the definition of autism, social communication difficulties, repetitive behaviours, language delays, diagnosis and assessment methods, intervention strategies, and the role of families and therapists in supporting children with autism.

Sophie explains how autism is a disorder characterized by difficulties in social communication and interaction, and it is important to accurately diagnose it from an early age. She describes how repetitive behaviours, sensory needs, and language delays are common indicators of autism in children.

We go on to discuss how the diagnosis and assessment of autism involves observation skills, creating an autism-friendly environment, and will involve multiple professionals for a comprehensive evaluation. Sophie analyses how providing a flexible, responsive routine and support for children is crucial and how to involve the whole family in the process.

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/TheNestatCanterburys/
https://www.instagram.com/the_nest_nursery_/
https://www.canterburysnurseries.com/
https://widgitonline.com/en/home
http://www.ginadavies.co.uk/parents-services/professional-shop/foundation/

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis/diagnostic-tools/all-audiences
https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/autism/echolalia-and-its-role-in-gestalt-language-acquisition/
https://www.elklan.co.uk/